Something We Can All Agree On

Jaques Chirac is a threat to world security.

He's also the biggest obstacle to American and European reconciliation.

His foreign policy is reckless and selfish. His domestic policy is hard-headed and hypocritical.

Yesterday, after thousands of French businesses signed contracts worth $5 billion with the Chinese government, Jaques Chirac called on the European Union to lift its arms embargo on China.

For the E.U. to do so would be a mistake-- for France, for Europe, for China, for America, and for the world. And I find it hard to believe that Jaques Chirac doesn't know it.

The ban came into effect 15 years ago, shortly after the Tianenmen Massacre in 1989.

Over the past ten years especially, China has made exceptional progress as a country: going from a protected economy to one of the world's most open markets, joining the WTO, and winning a bid to host the Olympics in 2008. Economically and diplomatically, China is heading the right direction.

Regrettably, gains have failed to come in the area of human rights, as evinced in the high level of political repression that occurs on the mainland and has begun to show it's ugly head in Hong Kong.

And distressingly, China continues it's beligerent rhetoric against semi-independent Taiwan.

China does NOT need more weapons which it would surely use to threaten Taiwan, a U.S. ally. They are already reportedly pointing hundreds of missles at the island already. China has no other real threats in the region.

Please remember that according to the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, The United States is legally (and, I would argue, morally) obligated to intervene militarily in any attack on Taiwan.

It's clear what Chirac wants: A multi-polar world order where other powers (notably France) balance the United States. His policy in the E.U. of scolding new member countries as "little children who ought to do what they're told" and of creating a coalition of powerful E.U. countries to push ahead with federalism shows that he wants to bring France (and not the E.U.) back to the level of prestige and influence it possessed hundreds of years ago. By arming China to the teeth (i.e. enough to overwhelm the United States), Chirac believes France would gain a world ally with the power to acts as it pleases without any repercussions.

In endorsing an end to the embargo, Chirac is playing a dangerous game. He's making two dangerous gambles: first, that China won't try to overtake Taiwan militarily with these new weapons and second, that if they do the U.S. will feel too overwhelmed to take action.

Although number one is a smart bet, it's nowhere near "a slam-dunk" (--not even a George Tenet one). More aggressive Chinese rhetoric is leading to a more restless Taiwanese population who want their independence. President Chen Shui-bian who favors independence, was recently reelected: something the Chinese are none too happy about. There is still great tension in the region.

Number two is a bad bet. The world loses out either way. Americans won't stand for China trouncing on Taiwan's flourishing Democracy, I don't care who's president. But even if he were right, the sacrifice he's willing to make is startling: Taiwan's democracy.

But considering Chirac's proclamation that France would not help in Iraq no matter what is evidence that Chirac will even gamble chaos in the Middle East for a chance to counterbalance the U.S. No price is too high to regain France's old prestige-- and power.

The optimists' view I suppose, would be that he knows the European Union will decide not to lift the arms embargo, and made that statement just to get $5 billion for his French businesses.

Either way he's a sleazebag. And dangerous.